Orla Ludwick

Orla has been with Diane and the Upper Room Dance Studio since 1998. Initially a student, then assistant, Orla has taught PreBallet, Irish, and Tumbling classes for over 15 years and has watched many students grow up at the studio. She has been the stage manager for every recital and keeps everyone in line and on cue!

Sara Smith

Sara Smith has been dancing with the Upper Room Dance Studio since she was 6 years of age, and has had a passion for dance even longer.

While at the Upper Room, she trained in ballet, pointe, and contemporary dance under the direction of over 15 instructors. In addition to yearly recitals, Sara has had the privilege of dancing at various churches, retreats, nursing homes, and parades. 

Sara began as a teacher’s assistant under Diane Belz when she was 12 years old and started substitute teaching when she was 15.  Since 2018, Sara has been teaching ballet to all ages, and since 2022 has been teaching contemporary dance. 

Sara’s passion is to pass on all the excellent instruction she was given at the Upper Room Dance Studio to the next generation of dancers, all while giving glory to God.

Hannah Smith

Hannah Smith started dancing at the Upper Room Dance Studio in 2005 at the age of 4. At the age of 11 she began learning the use of various worship tools.

Over the next 7 years, she trained under Cindy Green and Theresa Murata in Tamborine, Flags, Fan Streamers, Silks, and Poi.  She has also received instruction from many different teachers in ballet, pointe and contemporary dance.

She has performed many places such as nursing homes, churches, CYT musical theater and the 2022 Power of Dance Nationals competition where she won Diamond awards.

Hannah has been a teacher’s assistant to the Upper Room’s youngest dancers since 2016. She loves teaching and helping others learn how to use dance as a form of worship to God. 

Candice Houser

Candice Houser is a native of Bucks County, Pennsylvania and began her classical ballet training at Dance Elite under the tutelage of Maxim Ponomarenko and Nadia Pavlenko. Ms. Houser furthered her study and training in dance at Wilson College where she majored in Dance Performance with a focus in Ballet. During her time at Wilson College she spent winter breaks taking open classes in New York City and summers studying at Ballet Hispanico, The Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts, and Nashville Ballet. Upon graduating, 

Ms. Houser joined Spiritoso Ballet Company in Bucks County (Pennsylvania) as a soloist and within her first year with the Company was promoted to principal dancer. Ms. Houser has gone on to have danced for Donetsk State Opera and Ballet Theatre (Ukraine), Toledo Opera (Ohio), Actor’s Gym (North Carolina), a resident dancer with Opera Carolina (North Carolina) to name a few companies. She has performed many principal roles, soloist roles, and original choreography throughout her career. 

In addition to performing, Ms. Houser taught and coached ballet and pointe at Next Step Dance Studio (Concord, North Carolina). She taught beginner ballet through advanced ballet. Since moving to the Chicago area she has been teaching in the local community. Ms. Houser recently moved to the Chicago, Illinois area from Charlotte, North Carolina and is coached by Dr. Andrew Carr (Kansas City Ballet). 

Theresa Murata

Theresa began teaching at the Upper Room Dance Studio in 2014.  She has over 20 years of dance training and has trained in various dance forms including Oriental dance, Worship Tools, ballet, jazz, modern, hula, Tahitian, West Coast Swing and other social dances. 

Theresa founded and directed a worship tools training ministry, Worship Expressions, for 12 years and is the author of Dancing with Silks training manual and a worship devotional.  She has also worked as a behavioral therapist for children with special needs. 

Theresa earned a teaching degree from the University of Illinois and currently dances professionally with The Barefoot Hawaiian Polynesian dance company.  Her passion is to worship the Lord and help others experience the beauty and joy of worshiping Him through dance.

Chloe Prinsen

Chloe began dancing at age three and enjoyed learning ballet, jazz, and tap before studying Irish dance. She has over seven years of experience, practicing with the McNulty School of Irish Dance in both soft-shoe and hard-shoe styles. She has performed in over 50 live performances in a wide variety of venues. 

Chloe also has a passion for working with children and has spent the last six years working/volunteering as a Sunday school teacher, a teacher’s aide, and a camp counselor.  

Outreach Coordinator